From Russia With Love
by Niamh Wilson Scott
Summary: Les amis de L'ABC are only just teenagers in 1815, so what happens when a soon to be leader finds a baby on the church steps. With him and Eponine caring like a mamon and papa, their daughter decides that they should love each other, but Marius and a revolution get in the way. The best laid plans of mice and men... (Eventual E/E M/C and Bahorel/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone. This is my very fist fanfic and I hope you like it. I got the general idea from A Child Of The Revolution- I forget who wrote it on this site but its good. Btw, the name is pronouced Kia, like the car, but spelt different.**

**Please r and r or pm me.**

**Nina W-S x**

5TH JUNE 1815

Enjolras looked up to the sun. It was hot for paris but the breeze on the bridge from the Seine was good. It was refreshing. He was going to meet with his group of friends- and Eponine. They had met the street urchin around a year ago, when she was only eleven, and the rest of them twelve.

He went to Notre Dame, he always loved the church. It was the only piece of art he seemed to like. Although early morning, the doors were not yet open, and yet there was a basket next to the door. Curious, Enjolras swept the golden curls out of his eyes and ran up them, knocking on the doors. No answer.

He picked up the basket and decided to take it to the secret entrance to the church that he was small enough to fit through. Then he heard it. Was the basket... Crying?

He shifted the thick woolen blankets to find a very hot, newly born child.

"Oh my Jesus Christ!" He yelled, almost dropping the baby altogether. "Um... What to do? To do..."

He didn't know. Without thinking. His feet took him to the elephant where they all met after discovering it was hollow. It was the amis hide out.

"JOLY! You in here?" Enjolras knew Joly was a fast learner and his father was a doctor and Joly had been working with him since he was about five. He could be a well trained medic now, if he wasn't 13.

The boy in question stared at Enjolras as he climbed inside the belly of the elephant.

"Ey! Whatcha got there Enjy?" Eponine crawled in afterwards. Her hair in its usual tangles.

"Its a..." He took a deep breath as he lost lots whilst running. " A-"

"BABY!" Eponine squealed as she took it out of the blankets. "Cute!"

"Eponine I don't think its well." Enjolras said, noting the baby had stopped crying and its small chest no longer rising.

"Quickly, give her to me." Joly ordered.

"Her?"

"Its a girl." Joly set to work trying to shock the child's heart back into working. "I'd say she's around three hours old."

Joly took a pan full of cold water and full on dunked the baby into it. Upon lifting it out, everyone held their breaths.

Crying.

They all exhaled.

Joly dried the baby and handed her to Eponine who held her expertly. She felt at home with a baby in her arms and had to deal with Gavroche, her younger brother when he was born.

"I was just walking up to Notre Dame and she was laying in a basket." Enjolras explained everything. "No mother to be found."

Marius hopped back into the elephant looking triumphant.

"I found some milk!" Marius handed Eponine the bottle. He touched her hand and her cheeks blushed slightly.

She fed the greedy baby who fell asleep in her arms.

"Where did she come from?" Grantaire said, staring at the girl in her bliss-filled slumber.

"We can't put her back on the streets can we?" Courfeyrac suggested. He was met with several glares. "Forget I said it."

"No, she is a poor defenceless child. No one deserves to be abandoned like that. She could've died." Combeferre said sternly.

"Cafe? Its cooler there." Prouvaire said. So they all went. "And I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry."

X

Evening had started to fall and all the amis had done was argue over the baby, who was soundly asleep still.

"Well who's she going to live with?"

"Me!" Enjolras and Eponine both chorused.

"You?" Eponine stood up.

"You live on the streets Eponine!" Enjolras told her as if she didn't know.

"What's that suppose to mean?" She crossed her arms over her chest protectively.

"Stop arguing!" Grantaire told them as the baby fell asleep in his arms. He set her down again in the basket.

"Right, first off, before we start deciding what the hell we're meant to do with her, she needs a name." Combeferre suggested.

"Well, I like Aimee." Enjolras said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And I like Kate." Eponine mimicked him, taking a step towards him. He looked down at her as they tried to stare each other out.

The amis looked between them like a tennis match. Somehow, Enjolras had the right to be like a father to this child he had found, and Eponine had taken her mothering instincts and applied them. The two were children themselves and still managing to quarrel like parents.

"Why don't you just call her Cea then?" Grantaire rubbed his eyes, it was late and if they continued to shout, then she was going to wake up... Again.

They both looked as he had come up with the most random name ever. They tried to stare each other down.

"I like it." Eponine backed down first, but still a fight in her voice.

"Same here." Enjolras spat.

"Fine." Eponine spun on her heel and started to walk out.

"Fine." Enjolras yelled after her.

She paused at the newly named Cea crying again.

"I'll see to her." Enjolras said softly to Eponine who looked on edge.

"No, I will." She went to go and pick Cea up when Enjolras stood between her and the baby girl.

"No, go home Eponine. She'll be fine. I don't want your father being angry at you." She nodded her thanks and left.

Enjolras approached Cea and felt like this was natural. He reached down to her and held the girl close to his chest and rocked her.

"Look, there we go! Nothing to cry about. I'm here." He told her.

"Aw! He looks normal!" Lesgles giggled at the odd sight.

Cea had stopped crying and was now gurgling like a normal baby. She was cute. He huge blue eyes matched Enjolras' as they stared at him. He small fingers playing with his hair, reaching and poking his nose. She laughed. It was the cutest laugh he had ever heard.

"Why Cea, Grantaire?" He asked, as she started to drift off the sleep from his rocking motion.

"Oh! Because there's a C on the side of her blanket." Grantaire smiled, wondering over to Enjolras and Cea and stroking her soft cheek as she giggled in her sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Eponine awoke early in the morning with a start. She heard crying. A baby.

She scampered out of bed and ran out into the street, pulling her cap back onto her mop of long dirty brown hair, and looked around for the source.

"Cea?" She ran around the corner, looking for the crying. This was the normal routine every morning. She knew the risk of taking Cea home with her so she didn't. But not having her girl beside her made her constantly paranoid.

She was running blindly, unaware that the crying had ceased and that her feet carried her to outside Enjolras' and the other students boarding houses for their schooling.

Yet she still shouted.

"CEA!"

Her fists banged on the harsh wooden doors as she desperately tried to get in.

"Hang on! I'm coming!" Enjolras opened the door in his nightshirt as Eponine was a blur past him as she hopped up the stairs and into his quarters.

"'Ponine, she's fine." Enjolras lent on the door way as Eponine sat on the end of his bed, staring into the basket on his chest that Cea was sleeping in.

The little girl stirred slightly and grasped Eponine's finger, not able to reach around it with her own.

Then Eponine did something she hadn't in a while. She smiled.

X

Enjolras pulled a blanket over Eponine as she fell asleep with Cea clutching her finger.

They both looked so peaceful, but he decided to get up even though he really hadn't had much sleep last night because of Cea.

Somehow babies didn't grasp the concept that at night you were meant to sleep. He didn't know when he grew up that he would be more like the child than he first thought.

X

It was coming to evening and les amis sat in the cafe, drinking jus d'orange. Enjolras tapped his foot impatiently. Marius had taken Eponine and Cea out today, and they still weren't back. He was worried.

X

"I told you she hates me!" Marius once again went to hold Cea, who started to scream as he came near, causing Eponine to burst out laughing at his face. She took Cea again who immediately stopped crying and went back to gurgling.

"Maybe its the way your face is?" Eponine said through giggles. "Did the nasty man scare you?"

Cea seemed to glare at Marius, causing him to back away.

"She's a baby, Marius. What harm can she do?"

"She may bare grudges when she's older, and with you as a mother, I dread to think what pain she could inflict." Marius earned himself a playful punch on the arm as they continued to the Musain.

"Well well." Thenardier came from around the corner, a knife glistening in his hand. "Got yourself knocked up did we 'Ponine?"

Eponine held Cea closer as the baby gurgled the language of infants. Marius just seemed to back away, behind them.

"I found her papa." Eponine tried her hardest but she was scared. She was sure Cea could feel her shake. She couldn't defend herself and Cea, let alone all three of them.

"Yeah, a likely story bitch." Thenardier took a step closer. "Where's the money? The sod pay you more for having his baby?"

"Its true, we found her." Marius said in the shakiest voice known to man.

"Shut it boy!" Thenardier made them all jump and Cea began to cry.

"Shhh, shhh." Eponine had to try to console her little girl. She held her closer, rubbing circles and bouncing her slightly. "Its ok."

"Hand the bastard to the boy." Thenardier ordered her. Eponine hesitated. Marius shook his head. "Quickly and quietly girl! Now! Otherwise I'll have two more victims."

Eponine handed Cea to Marius and kissed her on the forehead. Cea began to cry.

Thenardier hit Eponine before she had the time to turn around properly.

"Eponine!" Marius yelled, almost dropping Cea.

"Go! Now Marius." Eponine groaned as her father stood on her as she lay on the ground.

Thenardier pointed the knife at him as he started to back away. "Don't move boy! Or there will be no Eponine tomorrow."

Marius stood still and Cea still cried.

"Get the bitch to shut it." Thenardier stepped closer, Marius took a small step back, holding Cea closer. She started to cry even more. "Hand her to me. NOW!"

Thenardier lunged forwards and grabbed Cea out of his arms and she proceeded to scream. He jolted as he heard the steady hooves of the mounted police. Anger swelled inside of him. He kicked Eponine repeatedly. His daughter whimpered but he wanted to make his mark.

"Why don't you shut up, girl?!" Thenardier sneered at the baby. She cried even more. Thenardier saw red. "I'll make you scream, you'll scream alright!"

He balanced the baby in one arm and took the knife in his other hand, ignoring Eponine's yells for him to stop and Marius' widened eyes. He slowly lowered the tip of the knife to the child's left wrist and from just by the crease of her thumb, etched a vine down her hand and around her wrist twice, over her veins.

He smiled as she screamed and cried as her blood was spilled. Thenardier's head snapped up as the police calls seemed close now. He dropped the crying baby and sprinted down the street.

X

Eponine managed to reach and catch Cea before she hit the ground. Marius was at her side in seconds. Eponine's face was one of horror as Cea's blood stained her hand as it freely flowed from her wrist. Eponine struggled to sit up as pain riddled her.

"Marius, take Cea to the cafe." Eponine pushed the baby in his arms.

"She's hurt badly." Marius was always a little slow. It hadn't hit him yet that Thenardier would hurt a defenceless child.

"I know. Please Marius." Eponine pleaded. She couldn't stand seeing Cea in agony.

"You're hurt too." Marius said, as if she didn't know.

"Just go Marius! I'll make sure the police don't find you two."

In hearing the urgency in her words, Marius looked to her with sorrow in his eyes as he nodded and took off towards the Musain, increasingly concerned that Cea had started to drift away.

**R and r pretty please?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello there. Thanks to all who favourited, followed and reviewed, it made me so happy that you're enjoying it. It's gonna be action packed as soon as they all get a little older So bare with. Eventual e/e but lots of one slides e/m as well. So I got an new iPad so it's taken me a while but I'm quite happy with this chapter, and sorry it's taken me so long but I wanted to give an insight to the young revolutionaries so I can set them up for later. Hope you like it.**

**Nina w-s x**

The Amis heads turned as Marius burst into the cafe.

"Hey! Cea isn't crying and Marius is holding her! It's a miracle!" Joked Grantaire.

"I think she's dead."

Everyone fell silent quickly. Joly rushed over and saw all the blood on Marius' shirt and on Cea's clothes. Her pretty light blue dress was stained red, some dried some fresh. None of it good.

"No." Enjolras felt everything go into slow motion. No one was moving fast enough. He couldn't move fast enough.

"Let's go to my father." Joly went to take the baby but Marius held her tight. He followed Joly out.

"Where's Eponine?" Enjolras asked, finally speaking up.

Marius paused on the steps. "She told me to go."

"You left her?!" Courfeyrac was close to yelling. The Amis never left anyone behind. "Was she hurt?"

"We don't have time for this!" Joly yelled as panic set in the Amis. He somehow found order. "Enjolras, come with me and Marius, the rest, go and find 'Ponine. You know where I live. Marius, explain on the way. I fear we may be too late."

Enjolras went to Marius and took Cea's from his arms and held her cold body next to his warm chest. He was close the breaking. "Come on Cea, just a little further."

They ran.

X

Eponine was still on the ground when she heard the police spot her. She was in agony. She could hardly move. She guessed her father had broken a rib or three on the right hand side. She couldn't twist herself to sit up, let alone stand. The police weren't urgently coming to her. She guessed, as always, the shadows hid her from view, like she used them everyday. She remembered the curfew. Surely it was past the time. She could spend a night in the cells for being out so late, like a few weeks ago. She tried to move to get up but it hurt so much. She let out a scream that was silenced and she was startled by the hand over her mouth. She couldn't see their face but the voice was one she knew well, thank goodness.

"I don't think they've seen us yet 'Ponine." Courfeyrac said. "Stay quiet."

"Where does it hurt?" Combeferre's figure came to block her moonlight.

She began to talk but her words came out as muffled, and they were quiet already as she tried to keep the pain from reaching her voice as it had already reached her hazel eyes. Combeferre hit Courfeyrac's hand. "She can't speak with your hand over her mouth!"

"My side. I think it's my ribs." She said, wincing as Combeferre ran his light fingertips over her right side.

"Are you bleeding?" Courfeyrac spotted blood on her ripped chemise.

"No, no it's..." She sat bolt upright, biting her tongue to withhold a scream. "Where's Cea? Is she...?"

Strong arms hooked around hers and slowly lifted her to her feet. She lent on Combeferre mad Courfeyrac as as they helped her walk as quickly as she could to Joly's house.

"We don't know. Let's just get you back first." Combeferre finally spoke up throughout the awkward silence filled with Eponine's shallow breaths of effort to stay standing and not to help in pain every few steps.

It's fair to say that the prospect of losing Cea made her walk faster, despite her injuries.

X

Prouvaire and Grantaire were on watch outside Joly's house. The moonlight added a certain eeriness to the thought that a baby would most certainly die tonight. When Enjolras was finally coaxed into letting Monsieur Joly seeing to Cea, he almost broke down completely.

Monsieur Joly's face was grave as he saw the amount of blood the child had lost, before he went into the back room with his son for assistance. The knife wound wasn't very deep but it had cut twice over her veins and since she was a new born, the skin did not have as many protective layers. The wound was fatal. Enjolras was distraught as Marius tried to calm him the best he could. He had even slipped vodka into his drink to help him relax but nothing was working. He had formed too much of an attachment to the girl to let her go now. Enjolras just kept pacing. Pacing was normal, structured, five steps there, five back. It was methodical, normal, equal. Harming a child was beyond logic, no methods, just hate and a rotten soul. It wasn't normal, nor was stealing a defenceless child's life equal. The beast who did this to her shall pay, Enjolras vowed. Marius was afraid that if Enjolras kept pacing, then he would ware out the floorboards and find himself in Australia.

Lesgles and Feuilly were in he sitting room, bringing fresh hot and cold water to the back room for Monsieur Joly. The carefully obscured the view so Enjolras could never see what was going on in the room. But there was no crying. No crying meant little chance of pulling through. In everyone's mind, Cea was already dead. No one dared say it. Everyone was tense.

Prouvaire glanced off into the distance. They shouldn't be outside after curfew, and he feared that Combeferre and Courfeyrac had been caught by the police, or he feared the worst for Eponine.

"Hey! Is that them?" Grantaire hit his friend who was in a daydream on another planet as he spotted three figures in the distance, advancing slowly. Grantaire was always the strongest of the Amis. He sprinted over to them and in seeing the creeping purple bruising on Eponine's cheek and her eyelids fluttering, struggling to stay awake, he scooped her up into his capable arms. She yelped in pain as he carried her inside.

X

Monsieur Joly could do no more for the poor child. At least she looked as if she were sleeping. Her breaths were small and her chest hardly rising as her heartbeat slowed to just above nothing. Her bright blue eyes never to open to the world again.

He came outside to a commotion of a younger girl being carried in by his sons friend, the incredibly strong one, for a thirteen year old. He quickly ushered the girl into the room and Grantaire left, closing the door behind him. Monsieur Joly looked down upon the girl who was struggling to hold onto consciousness in her dazed state.

"I believe you to be mademoiselle Eponine Thenardier, am I right?" He asked. Regulation questions, he could see a little blood as he parted her hair at the base of her skull, from where she was thrown to the floor by her father.

Eponine's eyelids were rolling but she still managed to make a sentence form in her delusional state. "Is Cea alright? Will she live?"

Monsieur Joly helped her lay back down as she seemed determined to go to the crib the baby was in. With no coordination, and her brain failing to send the signal to her limbs to move she almost collapsed on the ground if Monsieur Joly hadn't been there. He put her back to lay down and watched as soon as her head was on the pillow, her lids closed and she was out of it totally.

X

Enjolras was still pacing as Monsieur Joly came into the main room. Enjolras didn't seem to notice though. He kept muttering under his breath about how he would kill whoever did this to his girl. He didn't even know Eponine had been brought in.

"Well? Will they be ok?" Prouvaire said, setting down a pen as he was trying his hardest to compose a verse or two of a poem to cheer everyone up, but instead he just managed to get ink all down himself as it smeared just under his chin.

"They?" Enjolras was now back in reality.

"You, mon ami failed to notice that we carried Eponine in around a good half hour ago." Grantaire said sternly, scolding Enjolras for not paying attention and thinking about what he would do, not what he should do at the time.

"Can I go..." Enjolras was blocked by Monsieur Joly who stood in front of the door with his arms folded across his chest as he looked down upon the young boy.

"My boy, she is resting from her bruised and one broken rib. She is also sure to have a nasty bruise on he cheek for weeks to come but she needs to rest and so do you." Monsieur Joly steered Enjolras away from the door and into the lounge where Joly and Feuilly had set up nine beds out of cushions, pillows ans blankets.

"How is Cea?" Grantaire dared to ask the question. Monsieur Joly was always professional, but even he could not look the nine boys in the eyes as they were so full of hope. What should they know of tragedy and loss?

"If I am honest, her chances are microscopic. She is but not a week old, I'm sorry." He couldn't even bare to look at their faces as he went to the kitchen.

"Can I be with her when she goes?" Monsieur Joly turned around to face Enjolras looking up at him. The boy was calmly furious, and his ice cold eyes showed it. "She needs comforting, and not to be left alone. I shall hand her over to God myself."

Monsieur Joly smiled and patted the boys shoulder and ruffled his blonde curls. "Of course, but I do believe there is no God if he should rob an innocent of her life just after five days of giving it too her."

Enjolras smiled gratefully as he snuck into the room. His eyes adjusted to the dim candle in the corner next to the bed where he went to. He looked down on Eponine as she looked so peaceful in her slumber. He carefully brushed the hair that had fallen in her face away and smiled to himself. All she needed was to avoid home, decent food and a bit of tender love and care and she would be fine. She also needed a new family, but what were the Amis for? Maybe when he was older, had a flat of his own, he would keep a room or two spare for Eponine, if she ever wanted a permanent home to stay in. He told himself he would. He went over to the crib by the side of the bed and peered into it. Cea was sleeping but her breaths never heard. Enjolras touched her tiny wrist and there was no pulse. His girl was gone. A single tear made a path down his cheek. He didn't bother to wipe it away. No one was here to see him cry. She deserved his tears, she was young, too young.

"There can be miracles if you believe." He sang what his mother had sung to him when he believed his world had come to an end many times when he was in singlefigured ages. He clutched her hand as he knelt by the crib "Though hope is rare, it's hard to kill."

"Who knows what miracles, you can achieve when you believe? Somehow you will. You will when you believe." Enjolras turned to face Marius who had joined him. This one baby had touched them all. Five days they had know her, and now, all nine boys and Monsieur Joly stood and could do nothing as her life was taken by the cruelty that is death itself.

"They don't always happen when you ask for them." Joly said as his father put and arm around him. Joly had prayed for hours every morning and evening, often falling asleep in the pews in Notre Dame, when his mother, Madame Joly was ill. They did all they could and both father and son prayed for a miracle to happen. They had accepted that Annette's time had come, and knew she was watching them, hopefully making a deal with God (if there was one as they had all begun to doubt now) to save Cea and let her live.

"And it's easy to give in to your fears." Lesgles was always one for a laugh. He could never give into his fears as his bad luck he cherished almost as a gift. He quite literally expected the unexpected, and if the unexpected was Cea living, then he told himself that it would happen. Against all odds, she would live, she had too.

"But when you're blinded by your pain," Prouvaire's poet came out in him even though the lullaby was known to all the Amis, he gave it a slight edge as to actually create some faith in them all, to replace what they had lost. He should have brought his flute along with him to relieve the tension, and to calm everyone and give Cea a proper send off.

"Can't see your way straight through the rain." Grantaire managed to create a murmur of laughter. They all knew that he liked the rain, as in his so called 'scribbles' he could catch the light perfectly in the dew, or the drops as they fell and settled. He loved to juxtapose the look of the rain, usually connotations sadness in paintings with the sight of children playing in the puddles, or a smiling face, or even a delicate tree blossoming and flowering as the leaves are smothered with a light coating of fresh dew.

"A small but still resilient voice says," Feuilly wouldn't except it. He had to believe. All those ears ago, before he managed to get a scholarship when he was ten under General Lamarque's guidance, he was on his own, an orphan, like Cea. He had never given up, not even once, if he did then he would not be here right now. But Cea wasn't the one who had given up, it was whoever stole her life from her. He prayed they would have a heart and give it back to her. Some God on high should hear his prayer.

They all knew the song well. It was perfect for a goodbye, but all of them combined were not saying goodbye yet. "Hope is very near."

At that precise moment, the last syllable had echoed through the room. A new sound filled the ears of ten people who stood, one holding a baby. A gasp escaped the lips of Enjolras.

Her blue eyes opened to the world.

Enjolras froze as she stared deep into his widened eyes as he could not believe that she was looking at him. She reached out of the blanket she was wrapped in and her tiny hand reached towards his face, hers smiling, fascinated by his golden curly hair. He let her grip his finger, her tiny ones not reaching around it properly. Her touch was soft and light, but cold. Enjolras held her closer. The rest of the Amis were about to cheer in seeing their girl back to her baby self, but left, I'm seeing the relief cross Enjolras' face as he smiled warming and pulled her closer to his chest, supporting her tiny head in the crook of his elbow. It was just him and his girl.

"Mon petite Mireya." He whispered, rocking her and planting a gentle kiss on her forehead as she relaxed fully in his arms and tugged at her blanket with her delicate fingers.

"Miracle in Spanish?" A voice croaked from the bed in the corner of the room. It was hoarse and sounded old but to give the girl a chance, she had been unconscious for a couple of hours.

"'Ponine you're awake!"

She rolled her eyes in his joy that she seemed fine. Her pain had subsided a little but she knew hat Monsieur Joly had given her something strong until her ribs had started to heal, as they would never properly reset. "No, I'm dead."

"Don't even joke about that." He told her sternly. The scowl at Eponine didn't last for very long, as Cea caught both of their eyes as she yawned and murmured the incoherent speech that was baby language.

Enjolras sat on the edge of Eponine's bed as she, with great effort and determination, sat up as he carefully passed Cea to her, and she rocked her gently to sleep, Cea smiling and holding her blanket in her fingers as she dreamed her dreams. Eponine smiled down at her, mimicking Enjolras as they were glad that she was their Mireya.

If someone ever looked down on the scene before us, if the two foster parents of this girl were older by around five years at the least, they would have thought two people had just become parents and were basking in their own joy as they got their child soundly asleep for the first time. They way the boy sat close to the girl, as if he should put his arm around her shoulder, as she sat rocking the child in her slumber. The way the girl seemed to turn into him, as if ready to place her head on his shoulder as they both smiled softly and watched the infant contently together for the rest of their lives.


	4. Chapter 4

**I would just like to stay HUGE thank you table very single one of you. You are all amazing people and I know it makes me a bad author for only getting three chapters in and getting stuck, but you literally made me word vomit onto the page so I've sorted through it. Sorry if its still a little rubbish, I'm not entirely happy with it but you guys have been to kind to me and deserve something. So here is it...**

**nina w-s xxxxxxxxxxxx**

**ps I'm now on twitter ninawilsonscott**

Enjolras left the room once he had put Cea to bed properly. Eponine was now asleep again and Monsieur Joly had informed them that she had stitches at the base of her skull and probably concussion from her beating.

"She can't stay at home, or on the streets." Enjolras said.

"I can assure you she won't be going anywhere soon." Monsieur Joly had insisted that for her protection, she stayed with him as Joly was given students quarters at the university until he finished his studies. That would be a long time as they were only 13.

But Eponine being Eponine, as soon as the idea was proposed the very next morning, she outright refused.

"I know my way around." She protested, swinging her legs out of the bed she was on and making a beeline for the door to the bedroom. Grantaire slammed it and stood in front of it, crossing his arms and looking down at her. She huffed and turned to Marius who ran his fingers through his hair. "You can't keep me here forever."

"We can damn well try." Courfeyrac muttered under his breath, earning and glare from Marius as he knew he wasn't helping in the slightest.

"Please 'Ponine." Marius pleaded with her. "You can stay with me."

He took her hand and she fought to keep the smile from her face as his touch sent a tingle through her body and made her stomach lurch and heart beat faster. "No."

"It's the concussion speaking." Grantaire concluded.

"'Ponine, please." Marius was getting more forceful. "Your father is just going to hurt you more."

"What do you know about it Marius? When I first met you, you were singing songs and praises about my father, saying how he's a hero, a great man for saving your fathers life. Oh, I must be so honoured to be his daughter! Is this what a 'great man' who's worth 'honouring' does?" She yelled at him.

"Eponine." Marius raised his voice also. She was in trouble now. He called her Eponine. "We're all looking out for you. We're your friends. I'm sorry my first impression was wrong, but excuse me when I say your father is a little deceptive."

Courfeyrac took Cea up as she began to cry from the shouting. He rocked her and shushed her but she could somehow sense Eponine was upset and it made her cry more. Grantaire opened the door and Courfeyrac took Cea outside where hopefully Enjolras could sooth her and comfort her.

"I do not need looking after Marius! I look after my younger brother, he's been ill, I cannot and will not leave him at the mercy of my family, there is none! He needs me and I intend to be there until he gets better. He's but that high." She motioned with her hand to just below a metre. "If I run away he'll die."

The thought of losing Gavroche made Eponine's head spin and from the shouting gave her a bad headache. Her eyes couldn't keep in contact with Marius' and Grantaire could see that. He went over to Eponine and led her to the bed and helped her sit down.

"I think you should rest. We'll sort something out." Grantaire said, making her lie down and soon enough she was asleep again. He pulled a blanket over her and moved her hair from her face as he sat on the edge of her bed. He looked to Marius who was staring at Eponine and sighed. "Come on, she needs to sleep it off."

He got up and they both headed to the door. Grantaire held it open and Marius slipped out. "I know what'll cheer you up, if you can hold Cea without her crying!"

Marius glared at Grantaire as they shut the door behind them and then both smirked at each other. They joined the Amis who were sat around in Joly's sitting room. Marius sat cross legged on the and Grantaire flopped onto his back on the floor.

"I take it she still refused?" Joly asked Grantaire who groaned in response. They had all tried and now their mission to get Eponine to stay with one of them was a total and utter failure.

"Enjolras has tried as well, he even used Cea to persuade her but she still said no." Feuilly added, emerging from the kitchen. They all sighed. They had truly given up on Eponine. She was a handful. "I only hope Cea doesn't turn out like her."

"God help us if she does. One Eponine is a handful, but two would mean the end of the world as we know it!" Courfeyrac exclaimed. He was slightly exaggerating but everyone agreed.

"Nah, she's not that much of a handful." Prouvaire said, rocking Cea gently in his arms as she was fascinated by the colour of his hair. Her huge blue eyes gazed at him smiling and then smiled back at him, making his grin wider.

"Of course not, she's a baby!" Grantaire pointed out. "Duh."

"Annie." Prouvaire whispered. He looked up to see the Amis staring at him as if he had grown another head. "It means blessed. It suits her."

"Then it shall be her middle name." Enjolras said, the Amis smiled. Cea was becoming one of the family. "Consider her the youngest ami."

X

Once again, it was early morning a few days later, and only Joly, Courfeyrac, Monsieur Joly, Enjolras, Cea and Eponine were in the house.

They were sat in kitchen and Enjolras was hunched over papers and books that he spread over the table, asleep. Monsieur Joly was fixing some breakfast for them before he had to attend some house calls on his morning rounds. Joly was changing the bandages on Cea's tiny wrist, checking the stitches that would form a a nasty scar when she was older. Courfeyrac, was attempting to feed Cea some bread soaked in milk and honey to soften it. She couldn't be breast fed because there was none. So soft bread and normal milk was what she was eating. Monsieur Joly, or his son were present, so they made sure she didn't choke.

Yet again, Courfeyrac had managed to get her food on her cheeks.

"You're meant to put it in her mouth, not all over her face." Joly said, taking the cloth and wiping Cea's face for what seemed like the twentieth time in two minutes. "She's not going to bit your hand off."

"And how do you know that?" Courfeyrac raised a quizzical eyebrow at his friend who sighed and looked up from checking the baby's arm. He just stared at Courfeyrac because the answer was obvious.

"She doesn't have any teeth you muppet."

Courfeyrac smirked at Joly not hinting at his sarcasm and went back to his poor attempt at feeding her. Joly finally re bandaged her stitches and gave her hand a little tickle which she squealed at, making him smile. When Courfeyrac was finally done, and Cea had refused to eat any more, Monsieur Joly handed him a small bottle full of warm milk he had heated in the pan. Luckily, Courfeyrac was better with the milk as she seemed to grasp hold of the bottle as she gulped it all down.

"Huh?" Enjolras' head snapped up as he rubbed his eyes, peeling the paper off his face.

"I think you need to go home and sleep properly, Enjolras." Monsieur Joly said collecting his medical equipment from his son.

"I was up with Cea." He protested.

"You and I both know full well, as well as everyone else who stayed the night, that Cea slept all through the night. You were just watching her sleep." Monsieur Joly retorted, throwing Enjolras' coat at him as he himself clicked his briefcase shut. "Pack your things Enjolras, I'm walking you back to your halls of residence where you will rest and not overwork yourself on your days off from studies.

Enjolras groaned and went to turn down his order but the look of Cea being perfectly happy with Courfeyrac, and then the look on Monsieur Joly's face, he thought against it and grumbled as he packed up his papers and books, put his coat on and headed out into the particularly windy summer morning with Monsieur Joly.

X

Grantaire was on his was to Joly's house, with some things he had picked up from his father. When he had told him about Cea, his father bought out a box full of baby things. His mother had saved all the blanket and clothes and carrier and bottles for Grantaire when he started a family of his own someday. His father gladly gave it to him and knew his wife would want Cea to have. He was now humming to himself as he walked the Parisian streets with his bag slung over his shoulder. He was walking through the market place when a hand dipped into his pocket and removed some of his coins. As he was always fast on his feet, Grantaire took off after the boy with a brown cap pulled down low over his face and long beige coat flapping behind him. Grantaire thought that a pickpocket should be able to run faster and as he neared his assailant, he heard the laboured breathing and strain in the pants.

Grantaire reached out with his nimble fingers and grasped the boys wrist tightly and spun the robber around to face him in the narrow alleyway. The boy fought back but Grantaire was stronger, as the boy tried to pull away, Grantaire pulled him back to him and ripped the cap from the boys head.

Brown curls tumbled down over the shoulders of the pickpocket and her eyes dropped down to the floor.

"Right, come on." Grantaire didn't let go of her wrist but she tried to fight against him as he dragged her to Joly's house, where she should be.

"Please Grantaire!" Eponine said as she dug her heels into the ground. "My brother needs me."

Grantaire didn't want to hear it. She was hurt badly three days ago and shouldn't be up and about. He knew that she knew that her father could catch her at any time and beat her to oblivion, and yet she still snuck out. In feeling her struggle more and hold onto anything with her free hand, Grantaire huffed, and still with a firm grip on her wrist, moved behind her and gave her a forceful push to get her moving and placed his other hand around her waist. When she next tried to object to being dragged against her will back to Joly's house, he dug his fingers into her side and she jumped a mile in pain and he knew he had hit the spot.

"I suggest you walk, instead of me pulling you then Eponine." Grantaire told her coldly. He wasn't above causing her slight pain because he knew it would be better for her in the long run.

Eponine still seemed reluctant and was reminded every so often that she was slowing down by a small jab in her side. She glared at Grantaire every time he did this to her and was slightly relieved when he saw Joly's house. Grantaire knocked on the door and impatiently tapped his foot as he heard Joly come and open it.

"Hello Gra- Eponine?" Joly stared at her as he moved aside and Grantaire all but pushed her inside and she stumbled as little. Joly was dazed as he locked the front door and turned around as Courfeyrac and Marius came out of the kitchen. "But I thought you were asleep in the back-room?"

"So did I, until she tried to steal from me." Grantaire said. Eponine glared at the ground.

"Eponine, we're trying to help you." Marius said.

"And I'm trying to help my brother." Eponine looked at her best friend straight in the eyes. "I couldn't find him today. I'm scared he's-" She took off and headed quickly for the bathroom, pushing past Grantaire and unceremoniously, emptied the contents of her stomach into a bucket.

In an instance, Marius was by her side, holding back her hair and rubbing circles on her back. Joly tutted and told Courfeyrac to take Cea into the living room, away from the mess and commotion.

"This is what worry, concussion and strenuous exercise with broken ribs does. I don't think it's the first time she's snuck out. She's doing more harm to herself." Joly told Grantaire. They helped Marius pull her coat off her and remove her shoes and then helped her upstairs (so she was less likely to jump out of the window and into the streets) and into bed. She needed to rest properly.

"Where is your brother likely to be?" Grantaire asked as she seemed to be almost off to sleep.

"The elephant, he lives there. Or pick pocketing. He loves the bakery. He has a small group of street urchins. Or maybe try the coaches. He likes bothering the bourgeois in them." Eponine replied softly, her eyes closed. Her breathes became shallower and regular and she was in a deep sleep. Just what she needed.

"Stay with her, make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. We'll go find her brother and bring him here, if what she says is true and he does have the flu." Joly told Marius.


	5. Chapter 5

Unfortunately, it took longer to find Gavroche than Joly had hoped. They had been to the elephant and all the possible places a young gamine could be, but to no avail. The night was closing in and, in desperation, the boys had resorted to going to the slums. They were in for a surprise.

Horror stricken, they walked the disease ridden streets. Men and women coughed up blood, gaunt faces staring downwards in defeat. Boys and girls of their own age, starving and desperate, sneezed, causing Joly to almost jump into Grantaire's arms.

They searched for two hours in the slums of St Michele, fearful for their safety, but more worried about locating the young boy they had been charged to find. Unfortunately, however, they were eventually forced to admit defeat and began the long journey home.

They were returning home, as usual passing the bakery, when Grantaire stopped suddenly and smacked Joly arm in the upper arm.

"Ouch!" Joly said, rubbing his arm where he had been hit. "What was that for?"

Grantaire didn't answer. He shushed Joly and gestured for him to listen. In the quiet of the evening they both heard the coughing that seemed to be coming from the upstairs of the bakery. Grantaire politely knocked on the door and a young girl, who must have been no older than thirteen, came and answered it.

"Yes?" She asked suspiciously, her emerald eyes guarded as she inspected them. Her red hair was in a messy braid, flour staining the tips and in dustings on her cheeks from where she had rubbed her hands.

"Do you have a young gamine with you?" Joly stuttered. He didn't bother with formalities. "Maybe by the name of Gavroche?"

Her eyes widened in alarm and she moved to slam the door in their faces. Grantaire, however, was faster, jamming his booted foot in the door frame. "Don't worry. We've come to help him."

To put her at ease, Joly showed her the medical kit that his father had given him. After a few tense moments she finally let them in, and, by the light of a sputtering candle, she quietly led them upstairs.

"I put him up here because it's warmer; the bread ovens where we bake are directly below us." She gnawed on her bottom lip, her worry evident. "He was complaining that he was too hot, but I've seen flu before, so I know his fever hasn't broken yet. I've given him plenty of fluids, tried to get him to eat some fresh fruit and whatever other food he would eat. He's better than he was, but he's still not well."

Gavroche was huddled against the headboard of the bed the boys assumed to be the girl's. He was flushed and sweating, but despite this had blankets pulled up to his chin. His fever-bright eyes were half closed and his chest rose and fell rapidly. The girl made a move towards Gavroche but Grantaire stood in her way.

"Move please." She said politely.

Grantaire raised an eyebrow before bustling the girl out of the room and pushing her gently down into a chair outside the room. He then went back to help Joly, slamming the door in her face.

"It's my house!" She yelled, but her anger was pointless as they had already locked the door. She sighed and slumped back in the chair, pulling her feet up to rest on the edge of the seat. They were rude, but she kind of liked the look of the medical one.

X

"He has the flu alright, and it's bad. I can't have him near Eponine or Cea in this state. He's going to have to stay where he is." Joly sighed. Eponine would have to wait to see her brother until after his fever broke. He couldn't risk Gavroche giving it to Cea. The little girl would never survive it.

He opened the door and the girl sprung to her feet, startled. Grantaire smirked at her. She had clearly fallen asleep outside whilst Joly was examining Gavroche. "Tired?"

"A little." she replied defiantly, but then her shoulders slumped and her face flooded with worry. "I'm scared to leave him. He shakes so much at night, but I can't make him any warmer. And he shouts in his sleep as well, such horrible things. He's six! I don't understand why he was on the streets." She seemed close to tears and both boys felt their proactive instincts stir.

It was only then Joly saw the dark bags that hung under her emerald eyes. Watching carefully, he noticed the way they flitted around at everything and how she blinked slowly, as if to stop herself falling to sleep standing up. "You don't have it too, do you?"

She shook her head slowly and scraped her hair back from her face and then dropped it to her side. When she walked, she took heavy steps as they went back downstairs.

"I can stay." The words flew out of Joly's mouth before he'd even thought of it. Everyone was surprised. So much so that the young girl misplaced her footing and took the next four steps on her knees to the ground floor. She landed in a heap and cursed under her breath for making such a racket. When she next looked up, Joly was by her side, checking her head for bleeding and helped her back up to her feet where she brushed herself off and saw that her shins would be bruised by morning.

"I'm so sorry!" Joly stuttered, his face bright red. "I didn't mean to..."

"It's fine. I just missed a step." She waved off his concern, feeling bad about the guilty look on his face.

"But if you have a concussion-"

She smirked at him before placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I can assure you, I'm fine."

"Musichetta?" A weak voice whispered.

Her eyes snapped up to the top of the stairs to be met with the sight of Gavroche. The little boy could barely hold himself upright, his ghost white hands hugging the blanket to his frail body. She cursed under her breath again, running up the stairs to pick him up. With practiced ease she balanced him on her hip, feeling heat radiated by his ill body.

"Are you ok?" He whispered in her ear.

"Oui, I just fell a little." she soothed, rocking him. "You shouldn't have gotten up." She said calmly back to him, going to the bedroom again.

"Thank you, Musichetta." He said as she tucked him in and he fell fast asleep. She smiled down at him sadly and pulled the rest of the blankets over him that he had moved to get out of bed. Once she was done, she sat on the edge and sighed.

"You should get to bed as well."

Musichetta looked towards the doorway to see the two strange boys still there. The one she liked, the nice one, had spoken. "I'm fine. But how are you two going to get back with the curfew?"

She was right. It was already dark and only the street lanterns and the occasional shine of the watchman's candle could be seen outside.

"I'm taking my chances. It's my turn to keep watch on Eponine tonight. Can't have her running off again." Grantaire said, irritation mixing with fondness on his face.

Musichetta frowned at the name. "Eponine? Isn't that-"

"Gavroche's older sister, yes." Joly told her. "She's hurt and has hurt herself more trying to find him. She has a habit of sneaking out."

"Oh." Was all Musichetta said. They all snuck out of Gavroche's room and back down the stairs. Joly refrained from saying anything as he did not was to be held responsible for the bakery girl to tumble down any more steps. She showed them to the door by the side alley so they wouldn't be seen by the watchman.

"Thank you, Musichetta." Grantaire said by way of leave. She nodded in recognition.

Joly hesitated and spun back to face her. "I'm staying." He announced. She looked slightly taken aback so he hurried on, his words jumbling together. "It's the least I could do. You haven't slept in days I'm guessing and you may have hurt yourself worse than you think from your fall that I caused."

Grantaire rolled his eyes and disappeared into the night as Joly didn't give her the time to answer before he shut the door and steered the girl upstairs to another bedroom opposite Gavroche's. he mixed some powder with water and handed it to her to drink, which she did. He waited a little while.

"Sorry." He muttered to her.

"What for?" She asked and then collapsed into his arms, deeply asleep. He placed her on the bed and tenderly pulled the blankets over her slight form. He had no idea how she would react when the drug wore off in 18 hours but at least she would have had proper sleep. He checked her temperature, relived to discover that she truly didn't have the flu. Joly exited the room and made himself comfortable in the chair in the hallway with his book and read by candlelight. If either one needed him, he would be less than two metres away.

X

Grantaire had just returned to find Courfeyrac playing with Cea on the floor. The curly haired joker regularly looked after the little girl and seemed to have a special connection with her. Whenever he entered a room she would follow him with her eyes and her first smile had been for him.

"Joly?" Courfeyrac queried, upon noticing that only one of his friends had returned.

"Staying with the baker's daughter in the bakery because he made her fall down the stairs and she's tired from looking after Gavroche." He replied in a monotonous voice as if it was normal and obvious.

"Oh." Courfeyrac replied before going back to Cea. He played with her and she became the most lively month old baby anyone would've met. Grantaire was sat drawing on the table in the corner, doodling but then he thought to put his talents to something worth while after scribbling for half an hour.

"Courfeyrac, bring Cea here. I'm going to do a nice painting of her."

At no response, he looked up from his sketchbook to see Courfeyrac staring down at their tiny friend, a look of deep affection in his eyes. Peering over the top of his sketchbook, Grantaire was met with the sight of silently sleeping. She had her other hand reaching out and her fingers twitched in her dreams. Courfeyrac gently picked her up, wrapping the free end of her blanket around her, and went to her crib which they had moved into the lounge so Eponine could rest. Gently, he placed her down and she rolled around a little in her dreams, a small smile playing on her face.

"That is quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen." Grantaire kept his voice to a whisper so as not to disturb the sleeping baby and he saw Courfeyrac nod in agreement.

X

The next morning, Courfeyrac went out and back to his halls of residence to grab something that he had thought of the previous night. On his way back from his room, he met Enjolras on the steps and they went back to Joly's house together.

They found Cea once again in the company of Prouvaire who had arrived earlier as Grantaire needed to finish a piece of artwork for his project at school. Her wide eyes, were once again transfixed on his hair. Eponine was still not allowed out of the upstairs bedroom and had thankfully made no attempts to try and escape from the upper storey window.

Courfeyrac smiled and they both went over to where Prouvaire was sat in the living room with Cea, near to where Grantaire was sat, once again drawing. Courfeyrac sat opposite Cea and reached into his bag. With a flourish, he pulled out a green knitted dragon. The colour attracted her attention and she reached to it, her eyes huge in excitement.

He teased her by pulling it slightly out of reach every time she went to grasp its nose. At first she seemed confused as to why she couldn't reach it, but soon found it to be a game after staring intently at Courfeyrac. She gurgled and giggled as he jerked it from her grasp, before finally letting her have it. The Amis all smiled at each other as the first thing she did was hug it tightly around its neck.

"It's as big as she is, Courfeyrac!" Enjolras said, in observing the size of the toy was indeed the same height as her.

"Don't worry, I'd say she was born at 7 months because normally a baby would weigh more and be bigger but she'll grow." Monsieur Joly chimed from the kitchen.

"I sort of forgot she isn't going to be a baby forever." Enjolras sighed. "She's going to grow up. Want to know her parents."

"And we'll be here." Prouvaire chimed.

"Her real ones." Enjolras corrected his assumption. "We won't be able to help her out. She'll get older, like us, find friends, love and then leave us." He said the last sentence staring at the ground.

"But we have time until then." Grantaire said. "Got to make her life good while she's young. If you spend lots of time with her, it may decrease the chance of her turning out like Eponine!"

They all had to laugh at that.

**yes I know it's not very good but I needed this and it was also a way to add Musichetta into the story. I also wanted to show Courfeyrac's relationship with Cea because obviously, Gavroche isn't going to be so little and think of their relationship as the one he and Gavroche had. Please r and r because I got 2 a* 's and 8 a's for my GCSE results! Luv ya.**

**nina xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

Eyes skimming at the text in front of him, Marius was thoroughly engrossed in A Midsummers Night's Dream. He had always loved the story and although he would never admit to it, he was a romantic at heart. Glancing over the many pages, he spied the small form of Eponine curled up and slightly snoring in the corner, on the bed. It seemed she was content in her sleep, as he caught a glimpse of a smile play across her lips. He laughed softly to himself, unused to seeing his lively best friend so still.

He fully immersed himself back into his book with full concentration and had just begun on Act 2 when he heard the ear splitting scream of Eponine. Jumping in shock, the heavy book tumbled off his knee and onto the floor with a thud. His eyes flew immediately to Eponine to find that she was sat up, terror filled eyes fixed on the nearby window. A cool sweat washed her face as it paled. Her shaking form cowered in the corner.

When Marius followed her wide eyes to the window, he saw nothing, but he also knew that nothing scared his best friend. He jumped to his feet and raced to the glass just in time to see Thenardier land on the ground after expertly climbing down the side of the house. Marius couldn't believe his eyes and without a second thought, leaped down the stairs of the house and bolted the front door. Gasping for breath he ran to do the same with the back door, but he was too late.

"Marius? Why did you just lock the doors?" Lesgle came into the hallway; stopping dead in seeing Thenardier aim his pistol at Marius.

"Lesgle, get Grantaire to go up." Marius spoke in a slight code, even though Monsieur Thenardier already knew Eponine was there, Grantaire was the strongest and would be the best protection.

Lesgle did as Marius said. He backed away slowly and as soon as he was out of the hallway, he ran. "Grantaire go upstairs and fetch Eponine, we need to get her and Cea away from here."

He was met with confused faces but they complied. Prouvaire wrapped Cea in her blanket and cuddled the tiny baby close to his chest. She seemed to sense the tension, squirming in his arms and starting to cry. Desperate to keep her quiet the poet sung to her, his voice soft and melodic. This seemed to help somewhat as she calmed slightly, but she buried her head closer to him, as if to shut her troubles away.

X

Meanwhile, upstairs, Grantaire was trying to coax Eponine out of the corner of the room. When he had arrived in the room, she was huddled, her back pressed against the wall as she sat in a ball, tears trailing down her face as she shook in fear. He had sat with her, but he knew they had to move now or whatever was wrong downstairs would soon be upstairs, with disastrous consequences.

"'Ponine, we have to go." He said it for what felt like the millionth time. Finally, she surfaced from whatever conscious nightmare she had been stuck in and locked eyes with the boy she counted among her best friends, and if the past was anything to judge by, the one who always seemed to have her welfare in mind when she didn't. It was fair to say that she trusted him with her life more than she trusted herself with it.

He gave her hand a consoling squeeze as they both made their way downstairs quietly, hearts hammering in their chests.

X

"First, I want that brat, you stuck up little bourgeois." Thenardier sneered, waving gun threateningly at Marius. Despite the fear he was fighting to keep under control, Marius noticed that the villain wielded the gun like no expert. Marius knew then he had no intention of firing it, as he had probably stolen it. A gunshot would also be too loud for a so called 'shadow criminal'.

"You will never touch Cea again." Marius' voice came out stronger than they both expected. Thenardier looked slightly taken aback by the boy's bravery as he hesitated to think about how he would respond, straightening up slightly from his hunched posture.

"Eponine's been rubbing off on you. Taught you defiance has she? Cea, eh? What sort of a name is that? Dead is what she should be called." Thenardier then froze as he saw his daughter sneak past the doorway at the end of the hall. His eyes lit up. "Found you."

He roughly pushed Marius aside and made a beeline for the lounge. "Eponine, my dear slut." He sneered as he came into the lounge in time to find it empty, the front door banging on its hinges and silence. When he turned around, he saw that the defiant bourgeois boy had gone too. Letting out a low growl that morphed into a yowl of rage, he punched a hole in the glass window of the house, yelping in pain as he cut his hand, before making his move to intercept his scum of a daughter.

X

As soon as they heard his voice, Eponine began to tremble. Her face paled more and she lent further into Grantaire. She heard Combeferre mutter about how she shouldn't be up yet because of her injuries. As soon as Thenardier had called Cea dead, they were gone. Despite Eponine's worry for Marius' safety she was dragged away by Grantaire. On the way, they were planning on where to go to hide.

"Our halls of residence?" Enjolras suggested. His face was reddened and he panted slightly, but slowing down was not an option. "The school will look after us."

Lesgle tutted and shook his head. "But no girls are allowed on site."

"My father would find a way in anyway. He won't stop." Eponine's wobbly voice came through. It was the first time she had spoken in a while. She drew sharp breaths as pain riddled her body but she had to keep on moving with the boys. Every time she considered stopping, she looked at Cea in Prouvaire's arms and it spurred her to keep going. A million thoughts raced through her head. She couldn't keep running forever.

"I've got an idea." Grantaire pulled Eponine along and they all ran, following Grantaire until he came to where he was last night. "Joly will kill me but Thenardier will never come here."

Grantaire knocked on the back door which was opened slowly. They were all surprised to be met with Joly, and not the baker, or his daughter that Grantaire had met previously. Grantaire gestured for Prouvaire to enter first with the now sleeping baby.

"You are not coming in here with her." Joly told them sternly as he pointed at Cea, blocking their entrance.

"Thenardier is out there. He's just broken into your house." Marius was wheezing as he came down the alley and a small smile lit up on Eponine's face. He was fine. Albeit knackered, but fine.

Enjolras went to the end of the alley and searched for any signs of trouble, or that Marius had been followed. He saw nothing in the street but a woman leading a cow along the cobbles, some gamin's playing hide and seek, and a florist re arranging her display she had set outside as well as a few bourgeois pass, some sneering at the boys and walking faster, others admiring the vibrant yellows and oranges of the flowers.

Suddenly the door opened wider and Monsieur Joly appeared, his hat upon his head and coat on, looking ready to leave. "Eponine's father broke in? I will see to this accordingly. Meanwhile, let them in; just don't let Cea or Eponine near Gavroche."

A little reluctant, Joly allowed them in, but they were on strict instructions not to go upstairs. When Monsieur Joly left, Grantaire searched around downstairs for the girl he encountered the other night. He saw no sign of her. He was just about to ask Joly when the boy sensed him and assigned him a task.

"Will you take care of Eponine for me?" Without waiting for an answer, Joly nudged him over to where the girl could barely keep her eyes open as she lay on some blankets in front of the fire. Sighing, he went and sat down beside her as she lent on his shoulder. She became slightly heavier and Grantaire peered down at her, pulling her so she was lying with her head nestled in his lap.

The other Amis were all sat warming themselves from the fire as evening sprung around all too soon. Eponine had been asleep for nearly three hours as Grantaire played with her hair and Enjolras rocked Cea off into the same blissful sleep. Joly added some more wood to the fire when he was frozen by a familiar voice.

"Who are you all?"

He spun around to see Musichetta slowly making her way downstairs. Joly checked his pocket watch. Twenty hours she'd been out, longer than he had expected. He could tell the drug hadn't properly worn off as she tripped on the last step but he rushed forwards to make sure she didn't end up like she did the last time she fell. He just managed to hold her up. As he caught her, he couldn't help but feel a small jolt and a tingle through his body as his heart did a small summersault. He looked down at her. Did she just blush slightly?

Setting her back on her still slightly unsteady feet, he cleared his throat nervously. "These are my friends. You know Grantaire already, and the girl asleep is Gavroche's sister, Eponine. Lesgle is the one who is sat far too close to the fire for my liking," He glared at Lesgle who quietly moved backwards. "Courfyerac is the one with the giddy smile, sharing a joke probably with Prouvaire, and Enjolras is the one with the baby, who is Cea. Marius is next to Feuilly who's talking to Combeferre. And that's us."

"I'm Musichetta." She said with a small nod. She was welcomed with smiles and aninvitation to sit down with the ragtag group by the fire.

"Have you finally gotten some sleep?" Grantaire asked and she let out a small laugh and looked into her lap.

"You could say that. It wasn't voluntary, but it was appreciated." She gave Joly a sideways glance and he beamed back at her. This time it was him that blushed as he realised how pretty she was as the light from the fire danced through her auburn hair that was now free from flour, and her rosy cheeks no longer stained with it either. Her smile lit up her whole face and, for what seemed like far too long, Joly was lost in her brilliant emerald eyes.

"In other words, he drugged you?" Combeferre corrected and she nodded. Stories then came flying out about the many time they had been forced to sleep by Joly, accidental or not, followed by Grantaire's first encounter of alcohol and the subsequent hangover. These merry tales continued until they all fell into a comfortable sleep around the dying fire.

X

Eponine had awoken before everyone the following morning, quite a lot earlier than she would've liked it. She snuggled closer to Grantaire, drawing off his warmth and tried to go back to sleep. Her over active mind had other ideas though. She thought about everything and anything, from her old life to what ifs. Then it came to her current predicament.

She knew she couldn't keep running forever; it certainly wasn't fair to take a baby with her. To give her little girl a tainted life before it had truly begun was beastly. Eponine was, once more, at war with herself. She could give up the horrid life she knew, for one with her girl, and a warm house, but be constantly looking over her shoulder for the Patron-Minette, or, she could save her girl and return to her horrid life, safe in the assurance that no harm would ever come to her friends or her little girl again. However, if she chose this she was guaranteed to lose Cea. Which one was better?

It was then, in the early hours of that dull morning, that Eponine grew up. Nothing was about her anymore; it was about what was best for everyone else. She could not rob this innocent baby girl of a life that she might have known.

X

An early morning gust of wind bought a sense of guilt to what they were doing. No one would ever ask them how it did, but the weight of the breeze and the sun shining seemed cooler than normal, as if trying to tell the pair to turn back before they could regret what they were going to do. But they were taking things back to before it all went wrong.

In two weeks after Thenardier's appearance at Joly's, Enjolras and Eponine had discussed every possibility and scenario that they could come up with, both agreeing that they could not keep running away from Thenardier forever. They both agreed that Cea deserved a better life and, though neither wanted to admit it, the decision they had finally made ripped both of their hearts apart.

"Do you think this is best for her?" Enjolras seemed to hesitate knocking on the door.

"I'm not even thirteen yet. True, there are ten of us, but only three of us who know how to deal with a baby. We can't bring her up. My father had vowed to finish what he started too. She deserves to live. It is less dangerous this way." Eponine said, knocking for him. Both of them noticed her trembling hand, but neither mentioned it.

Eponine let a silent tear fall before wiping it and darting her dark eyes up to him.

"You know what we have to do."

X

They sat together in an office.

"She cannot keep the name that you gave her." The matron said, looking over the form they had filled out for Cea. "Babies go quickly and will most likely want to choose a name for her themselves." She looked up at the two miserable children before her, her eyes softening somewhat. She spoke her next words gently, knowing how much they would hurt. "I think it is for the best that I don't keep your contact details. She is a baby, they go quickly."

Enjolras nodded numbly and threw a look at Eponine to tell her to calm down. He could see that she was angry with the fact that her little girl was being stripped of her identity, the Amis being wiped from her past completely.

"You have to keep her wrist bandaged up. She hurt herself badly." Enjolras said, a steely cold look in his eyes, a marble mask covering his emotions. 'It's what's best for her', he kept reminding himself. 'She's safer here.'

"I understand. We have a very good doctor that will give her the best of care." The matron crossed moved from behind her desk and held her arms out for the baby that was still clasped in Enjolras' arms. As Enjolras handed Cea to the matron, he felt as if he had handed a piece of his heart away at the same time. Eponine was openly crying, reaching out one last time to brush her finger across Cea's soft cheek.

They said goodbye to Cea quickly, before either could regret what they had just done. In a final desperate act, Enjolras left his pocket watch wrapped in her blankets, making the matron promise to make sure it was kept with Cea. She would need some way to find them, if she ever wanted to know her past. With one last look, he opened the lid and smiled at the words engraved.

'There is a flame that never dies. Even the darkest nights will end and the sun will rise.'

By the time he joined Eponine and the Amis outside, his face was an unreadable mask. Any hint of emotion was not shown.

She's safer here.

He couldn't convince himself that she was safer because she wouldn't be by his side for him to make sure. He had to hold onto hope and trust that she would as well,that she would believe in what he said in his pocket watch. Every moment he thought about her. Every face was a memory of her, haunting him like a ghost of a baby he once knew. At night the vision of her shone brighter. How could he guarantee she was safe? His Mireya?


	7. Chapter 7

**thank you so much to my incredible beta stagepageandscreen, whom I love loads. Thank you so much to everyone who sent me the very kind pm's and left a lovely review. Welcome to my new readers as well. College is still hard and added with a slight concussion from being head butted whilst doing stage combat, it's not really going my way at all, but life goes on. I love you all So much. Sorry it's a little gloomy this chapter xxxx**

The matron placed the tiny girl down into a basket, securely wrapped in a warm blanket. She smiled at the girl as she slept, her heart filling with emotion at the sight of the slumbering infant. Her smile dropped all of a sudden and she gave a heavy sigh, the burden of what she had to do weighing heavily upon her. The matron was dreading what she had to do, but this baby could not stay here. Flicking through the forms the two children had filled out she double checked that this little girl could be the right one. Her eyes skimmed the paper. Yes, she seemed to be the right age. Yes, she was smaller than the average baby. Yes, no one knew where she came from. It could be her. It almost had to be.  
Lifting the basket carefully, the matron made the short journey to another orphanage over the other side of Paris. Her eyes darting to the sleeping babe every so often to make sure she was still held in her slumber as the carriage rocked her gently. Upon arrival, the orphanage looked more like a haunted house.  
Slightly rotted timbers stuck out like skeletal ribs in the dim light of the lantern that hung above the sinister doorway. The moon reflected its light through the cobwebs and musty windows wherein only darkness could be observed. The matron pulled the basket and the girl into her embrace. Her own heart beat faster and she tried to control her erratic breathing. She slowly extended a gloved hand to the dull and rain-stained overhead knocker on the door, but before she could the door creaked open, revealing a distinguished but cruel looking woman. Mistress Gillermond extended her bony arms out.

"Is it her?" She barked.

The matron wanted to run away, take this girl with her and save her from the unhappy life that inevitably waited for her. It wasn't fair. This baby couldn't control who her parents were. But her cowardice overcame her and she answered in a shaking whisper.

"Ye- y-ye- yes." She stuttered.

"Give the brat to me then woman!"

Feeling incredibly intimidated, the matron handed over the baby, knowing that she was going to regret it for the rest of her life. As soon as she let go, the menacing black door was slammed shut in her face and she was left on the doorstep with only her guilt to accompany her.

X

The walk to the bakery was a fast one, despite Eponine's attempt at walking slowly. Enjolras had longer legs and kept reminding her to keep up now and then. It was a condition, set by Joly. If Eponine was to go out anywhere, someone would always be with her.  
She had tried to refuse but was not allowed an opinion on the matter, much like most things all of a sudden. She was thinking along the way, about everything, like she normally did when on the streets. She thought how odd it was not to be wearing her usual rags, as Musichetta had let her have one of her dresses, with a belt around the middle because of her small waist. She was very conscious that her feet were no longer blue with cold due to the boots borrowed from Prouvaire. It still felt strange to be somewhat cleaner than normal, and to have had breakfast every morning, and lunch every afternoon.  
Some of the Amis had been away these past two days since Cea was given away, and they were all coming round tonight. Musichetta had fitted in perfectly. She was more of a mother figure to them, but the group of boys needed it, and she looked after them all, as well as Gavroche, who was on the fast road to recovery after his horrid fever had broken.  
Living in the bakery was nice. Eponine liked it, although they did hit the rather sensitive topic of where Musichetta's parents were as the bakery seemed to always be open, but no adults at all. Musichetta came across as a person who never hid anything, somewhat of an open book, but this was clearly a topic better left untouched.  
Monsieur Joly got the police to investigate the odd situation, but checked up on the children every now and then at the bakery.  
Before long, Eponine was snapped out of her trance by Enjolras clicking his fingers in front of her face as he held the door open for her. She nodded and went into the back room, where Grantaire, Prouvaire, Feuilly, and Combeferre were.

"It's good to have been outside again." Eponine said, as the others turned when they entered.

"Even if I do have to walk faster than I normally would." She threw a look to Enjolras who rolled his eyes, not caring. He did not want to go walking around Paris so close to the curfew but reluctantly agreed. Grantaire sniggered, earning himself a glare from Enjolras.

"Bonjour, everyone." Courfeyrac chimed as he walked in. They had not seen him as he had been caught up in his schooling. No one had told him what they had done. They had kept him out of their discussions, unsure as to how extreme he would go if knowing that there was a possibility that Cea would not be staying with them.

Eponine suddenly felt wrong. Uneasy. An unnerving shiver went down her spine as Courfeyrac surveyed the room, no doubt searching for someone in particular.

"Where's Cea?" He asked. No one dared to look at him. Not even Eponine. She was so used to dealing with defying her father, and him shouting that she should look him in the eye and tell him something he didn't want to hear, but for her to do it to a friend?

"Eponine?" A slight hint of confusion showed in Courfeyrac's eyes.

Why me? Her mind screamed. Why did she have to tell him? "Courfeyrac, why don't you come over here and sit down." Her voice was not as steady as she would have like it to be.

"What are you lot hiding?" He was confused and scared. What were his friends keeping from him? What on earth was going on? He felt a tug on his sleeve as Eponine went to lead him over to the many chairs downstairs in the back room of the bakery, but he pulled free, desperation making him strong. "Tell me!"

Eponine flinched slightly. Being so close when someone shouted caused her fight or flight reaction to come into play. She managed to calm herself quickly, knowing none of her friends would harm her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you 'Ponine." He muttered to her, sorry to have scared his friend, but still on edge. She nodded in acknowledgement. The apology didn't last long. Something felt wrong. There was a chill in the air, but it was summer. There was no pocket watch chain hanging from Enjolras' pocket to his waistcoat. He glared around the room; there was no trace of the little girl anywhere. No basket, no blanket, no toys.

"Someone, anyone, tell me what the hell is going on!" He roared.

"We had to..." Enjolras started. Courfeyrac noticed he no longer smiled. His eyes were as cold as the blue that raged a frozen fire in them. He was stoic; a mask upon his now carved features. Courfeyrac couldn't read his friend. There was something odd.

"Had to do what exactly?!" He wished someone would just say it. All this stalling was annoying him, making him snap.

Taking a deep breath, Eponine looked at him. Tears gathered in the corners of her deep brown eyes, she played with her hands nervously until she let them fall to her sides in defeat. She had to tell him. "I'm so, so sorry Courfeyrac. She's gone."

His face dropped. He was in suspended animation. No. No, no, no, no, no! He didn't want to believe it. He refused to believe it. "Gone?" He whispered.

"The matron, we, we took her to the-" Eponine stuttered, suddenly feeling scared in knowing there was always calm before the storm came.

"THE ORPHANAGE?" Courfeyrac lost it. He took menacing steps, causing Eponine to back away slowly as he was advancing. "YOU GAVE HER TO THE ORPHANAGE?"  
She gulped and nodded.

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MISERABLE HER LIFE IS GOING TO BE?" He continued to scare the living day lights out of his friends, not sure if they were even that to him anymore. "SHE MAY NOT EVEN LIVE! IT IS WORSE THAN THE STREETS." He screamed in her face and Eponine tripped over her own feet.

She felt insulted and scared by his outburst. She only felt a little safe when a strong hand gripped her arm to prevent her from falling and tugged her away from the outraged Courfeyrac. Grantaire received a nod from Enjolras and, still holding Eponine upright, took the poor girl upstairs to her brother, Joly, and Musichetta.

"Are you happy now?" Combeferre stepped forwards to take Eponine's place. "After all she's been through, and then you scare the poor girl out of her wits. Why pick on her? It was everyone's idea." Without knowing it, the words rolling easily off his tongue, Combeferre had implicated them all in the crime.

"You ALL knew?!" Courfeyrac returned to shouting. "And you didn't think to include me? You are  
all the prosecutors. Who exactly was there to defend this girl? No one! Did you ever consider she maybe would've liked a family to grow up around?"

"That is precisely why she was taken to an orphanage." Enjolras said calmly as he looked at his friend with unfamiliar eyes. No one knew that her leaving would do this to him without him ever realising it.

"Where is she?" Courfeyrac stood his full height, a few inches smaller than Enjolras.

"You're not going to see her Courfeyrac. No contact details were given." Enjolras commanded.  
It was a move too far. Courfeyrac lashed out, planting a fist in Enjolras's nose, causing an audible crack to be heard. Feuilly and Prouvaire were quick to act in trying their best to pull him off Enjolras, and only succeeding when Marius waded in to help them, earning himself an elbow in the face for his troubles.

With a strangled sound somewhere between a roar and a sob, Courfeyrac broke free, energised by a brief hatred and a sense of purpose. He had to get her back. Failure was not an option. Instead of swinging again at his friends like they'd expected, he ran for the door, so quickly disappearing into the night that not one of the Amis could bat an eyelid before the door swung on its hinges. He couldn't run fast enough. The orphanage was too far away. The moon was coming up high in the sky and soon the curfew would be upon Paris. A small flicker of a candle drove him to run that little bit faster. He was almost there, almost. He never knew he was so near but so far away.  
The matron looked up from her papers of research about a foreign land, and its connection to France when a boy with unruly hair and pink cheeks barged through her office door. He was panting heavily.

"Cea... The little girl... Where is she?" His eyes were wide as he spoke.

"Monsieur, she has been taken already." The matron informed him, her heart aching as she watched her lie tear the boy apart.  
For a brief moment she genuinely thought that he was going to collapse but as she made a move to stand and help him, he whirled on his heel and bolted back the way he had come.

X

Courfeyrac ran out of the orphanage as fast as he could.  
She was gone. Truly gone. He ran until he was tired, sprinting blindly through the dim and empty streets of Paris. The curfew had just passed when he sank to his knees by the Seine, leaning over the edge of the bridge and letting his tears drop into the river.  
He had no recollection of how long he stood there, pieces of his heart following the steady stream of tears that fell into the icy water many feet below him, but at some point he was found by Monsieur Joly. The man's face was sympathetic and sad as he wrapped an arm around the young boy's shoulders, feeling the shivers of cold and emotion ripple through his small frame.  
The two of them walked in silence back to the bakery in the dead of night, the younger of them having lost their way in life and unsure if they could get it back.

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